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A Guide
to
Digital
TV
What
is Digital
Television?
Digital television
(DTV) is a new way of transmitting
high qtlality video and alldio to
yoln" TV set. Using
DTV_
bir_adcasters
can transmit
high definition
TV
(HDTV)
images,
Do lby digital sln'rol md alldio, and new services sllch as mltlticasting
(transmitting
more
than one program
on the same TV channel)
and datacasting
(providing
electronic
pro-
gram gllides and interactive
television).
Several of these services can be combined
into a
single digital broadcast.
Digital
Television
Services
Digital
Picture
Quality
DTV programs
are transmitted
in two different
formats.
The first is Standard
Definition
Television
(SDTV) and the second
is High Definition
Television
(HDTV).
SDTV
program
formats
incl.de
480dine
interlaced
(480i) and 480-line
progressive
(480p) video. 480i programs
are essentially
a digital version
of olu" clu'rent analog TV
programs,
while the 480p fi_rmat offers improved
image detail over 480i. Some 480p
programs
are broadcast
in widescreen
and are comparable
to progressive-scan
DVD
movies in image % lality
HDTV
program
fi)rmats inclHde
1080dine
interlaced
(1080i)
and 720dine
progressive
(720p).
Both HDTV formats are always broadcast
in widescreen,
and offer milch higher
picn u'e % lality than
SDTM
Dolby
Surround
Sound
With DTV_
yo. can listen to a variety of Dolby digital a.dio
formats fl'om Dolby
S.rro.nd
2.0 to Dolby Digital 5.1 s.rro.nd,
Hsing yoHr home a.dio
system.
Many
HDTV programs
are now broadcast
with DD 5.1 so.ndtracks.
Interactive
Communications
and
Datacasting
DTV will allow yo. to interact with yo.r television;
choosing
programs
fi'om a detailed
program
gl fide, ordering
prodllcts
on-line while watching
TV_and accessing ancillary
data abo.t
a program.
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